Marine News - International Institute of Marine Surveying

Australia’s domestic superyacht industry booming

Posted on April 15, 2021February 12, 2025 by News Hound

Australia’s domestic superyacht industry is booming, doubling in size. Vessels have been attracted to Australia and its buoyant domestic charter market. With borders closed, many superyachts have moved to Australia to offer a luxury alternative to overseas travel. This increase in charter activity in Australian waters provides a huge economic lift for the country.

Seemingly this increase in vessel activity has a direct correlation to the new charter legislation passed by the federal government in December 2019. The passing of the Special Recreation Vessels (SRV) Act of 2019, coupled with the closure of international borders have contributed to accelerated growth of the industry.

Continue reading “Australia’s domestic superyacht industry booming”

Report on fatal carbon monoxide poisoning aboard motor cruiser Diversion published by MAIB

Posted on April 15, 2021April 15, 2021 by News Hound

The MAIB has released a report on fatal carbon monoxide poisoning aboard the motor cruiser Diversion. At about 2000 on 4 December 2019, the bodies of two men were discovered in the cabin of the privately owned motor cruiser Diversion, which was moored to a quay in the centre of York, England. The bodies were those of the boat owner and his friend, who had spent the previous evening in the city centre socialising with former work colleagues and were spending the night on board.

Both men had died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. The carbon monoxide had leaked into the cabin from the boat’s diesel-fuelled cabin heater exhaust.

Continue reading “Report on fatal carbon monoxide poisoning aboard motor cruiser Diversion published by MAIB”

How COVID-19 has driven a technology revolution in shipping

Posted on April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 by News Hound

Last year, satcom specialist IEC Telecom highlighted that demand for digital technology had risen tenfold as maritime businesses embraced new ways of working during the coronavirus pandemic inspiring a technology revolution. But why has it taken a pandemic to change attitudes to technology?

2020 was the year where remote working became the norm. Lockdowns and restrictions forced many businesses to close offices and move their workforce to home working. Shipping companies sent shore-based teams to work from home where possible. However, this highlighted some huge technology gaps. Those that had the right online tools and access to the cloud already could access data and information from any location and continue work. Others though, still reliant on paper-based systems and outdated technology realized they couldn’t function effectively in this new remote world, and something needed to change.

For many this prompted investment in technology and moving their business into the cloud for the first time. A recent report from Lloyd’s Continue reading “How COVID-19 has driven a technology revolution in shipping”

Giant wind blades are largest non-container cargo loaded

Posted on April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 by News Hound

The development of the wind turbine sector is creating new challenges for the shipping industry as giant wind blades and elements are shipped from their manufacturers to the staging points for their installation. APM Terminals Pecem, at the port of Pecem in northeast Brazil, recently handled the loading of three blades, which it reports became the largest non-containerized cargo operation in the world.

The shipment consisted of three giant wind blades, each of which measured approximately 238 feet in length. While these blades were only about two-thirds the length of the largest wind blades ever built, they were the largest in Brazil and needed to be shipped from the port of Pecem in the north to the state of Santa Catarina in the south where they will be installed as part of the growing wind energy sector Continue reading “Giant wind blades are largest non-container cargo loaded”

Sailing community shares the nation’s sadness as RYA pays tribute to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

Posted on April 14, 2021February 12, 2025 by News Hound

Though probably best known for founding The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme in 1956, His Royal Highness was also involved in the work of many more charities and organisations which reflected his wide-ranging interests including conservation, the military and engineering, as well as his passion for getting afloat. Well-known for his love of sailing, as well as his long-standing naval career, The Duke of Edinburgh started sailing while he was at Gordonstoun School in Scotland. He sailed frequently with Prince Charles in the Dragon Class keelboat Bluebottle, which was a gift to The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh on their marriage from the Island Sailing Club in Cowes, Isle of Wight. The Duke sailed the boat competitively for a number of years.

In 1948, Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh were listed as new members of the RYA and given Honorary Membership. At the 1956 RYA Annual General Meeting, The Duke of Edinburgh was elected as President of the RYA for the first time. Following his election, the Council was regularly invited to hold one of its meetings on board HMY Britannia during Cowes Week. Continue reading “Sailing community shares the nation’s sadness as RYA pays tribute to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh”

Flooding and sinking of trawler Ocean Quest report published

Posted on April 12, 2021April 12, 2021 by News Hound

MAIB have published their report on the flooding and sinking of trawler Ocean Quest.

On 18 August 2019 and about 70 miles north-east of Fraserburgh, the UK registered trawler Ocean Quest, sank as a result of an engine room flood. The source of the flood has not been determined; however, it was almost certainly a result of shell plating or hull weld failure. The crew tackled the flood with fixed and portable pumps but were not able to get the situation under control. The alarm was raised as soon as the flood was discovered, the crew were well prepared for the abandonment and all were rescued safely by a coastguard helicopter.

Safety Issues
Flooding presents an immediate threat, and every effort must be made to pump out the floodwater. In this case, the crew followed their onboard routine for bilge pumping, which meant that sea suction valves were left partly open. This potentially restricted the bilge pumps’ Continue reading “Flooding and sinking of trawler Ocean Quest report published”

ITIC Claims Review edition 44 published

Posted on April 6, 2021April 6, 2021 by Rosie Burton

The ITIC Claims Review April 2021, edition 44, has been published and is available to download.

In his opening comments, the editor says, “It is now over a year since the first lockdown was imposed in the UK and we know that many of you all over the world have also been subject to restrictions, with many of us working from our homes during this time.

Whilst we are unable to travel to meet members and insurance brokers, we are continually looking for new ways to reach you and as a result we have launched a new podcast series called ITIC Insight. Episodes are hosted by members of the ITIC team, exploring a key topic with external guests or hosting an interview with a board member or insurance broker. More information about this series can be found on Continue reading “ITIC Claims Review edition 44 published”

Brunswick 2020 Sustainability Report highlights commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance strategies

Posted on April 6, 2021April 6, 2021 by News Hound

Brunswick Corp has published its 2020 Sustainability Report: Our Stake in Tomorrow’s Tides, highlighting the company’s progress toward its sustainability goals, including a continued commitment to advance its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies. The report also reflects Brunswick’s dedication to sustainable manufacturing and contributing to the communities in which it operates.

“Brunswick understands the impact our businesses and products have on the environment and our opportunities to lead the way in sustainable, responsible business practices,” said Dave Foulkes, Brunswick Corporation CEO. “We are committed to continually broadening, advancing, and delivering on our sustainability mission and to improving the communities in which we live and work, and in Continue reading “Brunswick 2020 Sustainability Report highlights commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance strategies”

Downloadable MAIB Spring 2021 Safety Digest of accident reports published

Posted on April 2, 2021April 12, 2021 by News Hound

The Spring 2021 Safety Digest has been published by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch. It features 25 case studies involving a range of vessels and accidents. The Safety Digest talks through each scenario and reveals the lessons that arise from each case.

Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Andrew Moll, writes in his welcome and introduction “I would like to start by thanking Fran Collins, David Fuller and Roger Brydges for writing the introductions to the merchant, fishing and leisure sections of this Digest. Their perspectives on maritime safety make compelling reading.

At the MAIB, we try to keep our safety messages fresh. Continue reading “Downloadable MAIB Spring 2021 Safety Digest of accident reports published”

Mediterranean Maritime Hub Malta: Oil and gas hub to be constructed in Malta

Posted on March 31, 2021April 1, 2021 by News Hound

The Mediterranean Maritime Hub Malta (MMH) is investing more than €20 million to turn Valletta into a hub for vessels from the maritime and oil and gas exploration sectors. Located in the far reaches of Valetta Harbour at Albert Town, the first investment of €8 million went towards the preparation of the site, with a large proportion dedicated to the dredging of the basin to a depth of 10.5 metres. This dredging successfully removed pollutants from the main dock and allowed the port to accommodate larger vessels from the offshore sectors, including supply and construction vessels as well as superyachts.

“Today, thanks to the collaborative work with Jan De Nul Group, Malta’s harbour can accommodate larger vessels Continue reading “Mediterranean Maritime Hub Malta: Oil and gas hub to be constructed in Malta”

New production facility as Oyster Yachts makes a significant investment

Posted on March 31, 2021April 1, 2021 by News Hound

Oyster Yachts is undertaking a considerable expansion programme by acquiring an additional 27,000 sq ft at the Hythe Marine Park, Southampton. The additional space will be used to create a state-of-the-art production facility for the new Oyster 495 yacht.

“With several Oyster 495s already sold, investment in this dedicated production facility fits seamlessly with our growth strategy,” says Oyster’s CEO Richard Hadida. “We have great plans for Hythe Marine Park, this location is already a centre of excellence for boat building, and it is the ideal location for our expansion of Oyster.”

Oyster Yachts is moving into the historic Grade II listed Continue reading “New production facility as Oyster Yachts makes a significant investment”

Safety warning about multiple cruise ship anchor failures

Posted on March 31, 2021March 31, 2021 by News Hound

Anchor failures - Image courtesy of the Financial Times — Anchor failures – Image courtesy of the Financial Times

In early 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic forced the international cruise industry into an unprecedented operational pause, resulting in many cruise ships anchoring off the UK south coast for long periods of time. The MAIB has been made aware of several marine incidents of anchor failures since October 2020 where cruise ship anchors or anchor cables have failed, often while trying to ride out named winter storms. One cruise ship lost both its anchors within a week.

The strength of anchoring equipment is defned by ship Classifcation Rules and it is intended for temporary mooring of a ship within a harbour or sheltered area. In good holding ground, the anchoring equipment should be able to hold the ship to a maximum wind strength of 48 knots in fast water, but this reduces to a maximum of 21 knots wind strength in seas with a signifcant wave height of 2m. Continue reading “Safety warning about multiple cruise ship anchor failures”

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